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I first learned about SENS8 Smart All-in-One Home Security System through a Website called Indiegogo. Indiegogo is a Website dedicated to crowdfunding innovations in tech and design before they go mainstream.

The SENS8 had a few crowdfunding options but I chose the Single SENS8 Security System for $119.00. With it’s many features, modern design and great introductory price…it was a no brainer.

With my previous security camera, I had to pay the manufacturer monthly for cloud storage of surveillance videos. SENS8 offers unlimited cloud storage absolutely FREE, thanks to a direct API connection to Google Drive and Dropbox – saving you $100’s per year in costs from other subscription-based security systems.

Other security systems rely on proprietary cloud storage networks. If they ever go out of business or shut down their servers, you’re out of luck, and your files are gone. SENS8 assures your videos remain privately held, and totally secure with bank-level encryption.

SENS8 can detect abnormal events happening throughout the home, thanks to a 1080P HD night vision camera, Passive Infrared motion detector, as well as temperature, humidity, light, and sound sensors. You can live stream video in the app, scare off intruders with a 95+ decibel alarm, and even track the health of your home environment with our Smart Health system.

An ambient light sensor, microphone, and temperature and humidity sensor all can detect signals above a certain threshold, alerting you to threats like break ins, floods, leaking pipes, freezing temperatures, and more. You can select the alert threshold for all of SENS8’s sensors.

The SENS8’s 1080p HD night vision camera will live stream video to your phone from anywhere in the world. Unlike competing security devices, SENS8 uses a passive infrared motion detector, which is more accurate. It combines data from the PIR sensor and the camera with a patent-pending Sensor Fusion Algorithm to all but eliminate false alarms.

SENS8 will send an immediate alert to your smart phone. You can even have a 95+ decibel alarm sound to scare off intruders. SENS8 will automatically arm itself when you leave the house. With other security devices, when an intruder cuts the power you are out of luck. SENS8 has them beat, with an internal battery that will keep the alarm sounding and the device running for up to half an hour.

My receipt gave me an estimated ship date of April 2017 and after many delays, I took delivery of the SENS8 October 6, 2017. The packaging was minimal, sturdy and attractive. The unit came with a usb cord, AC Adaptor and a minimal instructional pamphlet.

After downloading and installing the SENS8 App from the Google Play Store, I started the setup procedure. The app took me step by step through the process of linking my Android to the SENS8 unit. After a few minutes, I was up and running.

The SENSE8 App was very easy to use thanks to an attractive, intuitive and easy to use interface that is divided into four sections.

The Home screen gives you the ability to monitor the Outdoor temp, Indoor temp and Humidity. You can also view “Activity Detected” footage and “Live” footage via a secure connection between your Android device and the SENS8 unit. The “Activity Detected” default setting is SD-780p. Live stream gives you the option to view your stream in LD-480P, SD-780 and HD-1080p. You can also view Live stream in Night Vision.

The Mode screen gives you the ability to Arm, Disarm, Schedule surveillance times and Automation which can detect when you leave your house and arm the system for you.

The Events screen gives you the ability to view Activity Detected with a time and date stamp.

The Me screen gives you the ability to setup your Profile and connect the SENS8 to your Dropbox account for secure storage of your Activity Detected footage. You can share access to your SENSE8 footage and features with another household member simply by scanning the barcode on the original Android device used to install and setup the SENS8 App.

Some things worth mentioning…the original SENS8 offer, displayed on the Indiegogo Website during the time of purchase, included a sd slot on the side of the unit. This design was later removed for security reasons from the final product, but is still displayed on the Indiegogo Website as of October 12, 2017. Also on the Indiegogo Website, is the claim that you can link your SENSE8 to your Dropbox or Google Drive account. As per version 1.1.1.0928(c6281d) Google Drive was not an option.

If you’re looking for a high quality Home Security System that’s easy to setup, use and a great value for the money, look no further than SENS8.

On September 24th, I pre ordered the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter from the Microsoft Store. (estimated availability date was October 30th) Microsoft, for some strange reason, has not spent a lot of time and money promoting this device.

For those of you who have never heard of it, the Microsoft Wireless display adapter is Microsoft’s answer to Google’s Chromecast. This little dongle features Miracast technology and complies with 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz 802.11n wireless standards, so you can easily mirror content from your compatible device on an HDTV or monitor.

The box came equipped with…

Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter

7.1″ HDMI extension cable

Owner’s manual

Setup was a breeze, simply connect the Microsoft Wireless Display adapter to the HDMI port on the TV and an available usb port for power. Setup on my HP ProBook and my Surface Pro 2 was also a breeze. Simply type “Device Settings” in the search box, select “Device Settings” and click “Add Device”. Windows will detect the dongle and add a new entry to the “Projectors” category called MicrosoftDisplayAdapter_43

The picture quality is decent and for the first time, I have a device that also enables me to project the display on my Nokia Lumia 1520. This is a big deal for me since neither of my former Windows Phones (Lumia 920 and Lumia 1020) worked with various bluetooth accessories over the years.

System Requirements

All Miracast® enabled Windows 8.1 tablets/laptops/phones and Android devices with 4.2.1 and later. Internet access not required for use.

Note: ensure the latest Windows updates are installed

Miracast® enabled Android devices 4.2.1 and later

Full functionality not available with non HDCP devices.

Not compatible with Surface RT

Cost

Chromecast = $35.00

Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter $55.00

Ease of setup

Last Christmas, my son bought me the Chromecast dongle. I installed the Chromecast software on my old HP laptop running Windows 7 pro without any difficulty, but it would never successfully communicate with my HP ProBook or my Surface Pro 2 running Windows 8.1. After many failed attempts, I packed it up and stuffed it into my computer bag.

The Microsoft dongle connected with ease and without fail, to ALL of my devises. I would highly recommend to all of my family, friends and customers looking for a wireless solution to project a project, picture or even a movie from their Windows laptop to their TV, to spend the extra $20.00 for a hassle free experience.

Last week I purchased the Surface Pro 2 along with the Type 2 keyboard. (See Specs below) I heard rumors that Microsoft was going to announce a Surface Pro Mini but I didn’t want a tablet with anything less than a 10.6″ screen. I couldn’t wait for it to arrive so I could set it up just the way I like it and start using it. The packaging was simple and minimalist, sure to please all the environmentalist out there.

The Surface Pro 2 weighs two pounds and feels very solid. It’s small enough to carry like a book or share space with my laptop in the same bag and large enough to comfortably get some work done or surf the Web comfortably.

The power cord has a built-in USB slot to charge your cell phone or another electronic device while plugged into the outlet. The other end connects magnetically to the right side of the Surface. The magnetic connection is a great idea, especially in high traffic areas where the threat of someone tripping on the cord is a possibility. After a full charge, the battery lasts a respectable 8 plus hours.

I purchased the Type 2 keyboard because I spend countless hours programming, so to me, it’s imperative that it feels like a traditional keyboard. The keyboard attached as seamless as advertised and when closed, it provides a layer of protection for the touch screen when not in use.

After pressing the power button I was greeted with a screen asking me to enter or create a Microsoft account. I have a Microsoft account for my HP ProBook 4540s running Windows 8.1 so I entered it and waited for Windows to complete the setup process. I was pleasantly surprised to find my desktop and settings were setup exactly the way I have it on my laptop. All of my apps were there and some required installing which took only a few minutes.

The screen is beautiful, the colors are vivid and the sensitivity of the tough screen is perfect. The Surface Pro 2 is very responsive whether you’re using an attachable keyboard or the OnScreen Keyboard. Windows 8.1 makes perfect sense on a touch screen vs the clunky feel that I reported in previous blogs.

The Surface Pro 2 also came with a pen that Microsoft claims to be paired to your specific tablet, right out of the box. To test this, I opened Fresh Paint and decided to dabble with a few samples that were provided. I was very impressed with the results. It has the same length and feel of a ball point pen. I adapted to it immediately. For the left handed users out there, myself included, Microsoft has us covered too. Simply click on the Search charm and type “Hand” then select search result “select which hand you write with” and change the default to Left Handed.

The volume rocker button feels solid and is conveniently located, on the upper left side of the device and the sound quality from the front facing speakers are very good. The one and only USB 3.0 port is also located on the left side.

The right side facilitates a Micro SD port, the magnetic power connection and an HD Video Out Port. (HDMI Cable and adaptor sold separately)

The front and rear are equipped with dual 720p webcams for Skype or taking pictures. The 720p takes good quality photos even in low light situations.

From the moment I pressed the power button on the top right corner, till the “Logon Screen” appeared, took exactly 5 seconds. To go from the “Logon Screen” to a fully loaded “Desktop”, ready to rock and roll, took 5 seconds respectively. The shutdown process took exactly 10 seconds from selecting “Shut Down” till the lighted keyboard turned off. In comparison, performing the same test on my laptop from the “Power Button” to the Logon Screen” took 16 seconds and from the “Logon Screen” to a fully loaded “Desktop”, ready to rock and roll, took 45 seconds respectively. That’s a full 51 seconds longer than the Surface Pro 2. With that said, if I want to surf the Web or check my email, I tend to grab the Surface rather than fire up my laptop.

I would highly recommend the Surface Pro 2 to anyone who is looking for a tablet that can truly replace your laptop computer.

J.A. Watson from ZDNet wrote a report on his experience with the new Ultrathin Touch Mouse T630 byLogitech. In his review he wrote “As with essentially all Logitech products I have tried, I highly recommend this one.” After reading his article, I was compelled to hop on over to Amazon’s Website and .check price and availability as well as the specs and reviews. The specs on the T630 were impressive…

Charge over USB: No battery hassles. Just 1 minute of charge time powers your mouse for an hour. (Based on typical user experience. Your results may vary.)

The customer reviews gave the Logitech T630 a four star rating and the $55.22 price tag along with free shipping clinched the deal. I took delivery of the T630 today and I couldn’t wait to start using it. I have been using the Microsoft ARC Touch Mouse for almost a year now and I have been very pleased with size and function, but the thought of ditching the dongle (Plug-and-go Nano Transceiver)for total Bluetooth connectivity experience excites me. The T630 supports two Bluetooth channels, enabling me to use it with my Bluetooth enabled desktop computer as well. This little device perfectly compliments my Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 making me truly wireless!

Windows 8.1 and the T630 connected as you would expect from a Logitech device. After my laptop connect to the mouse, I went to http://www.logitech.com/en-us/support/ultrathin-touch-mouse-t630 to download “Setpoint”. Setpoint provides smooth scrolling and gesture support for Logitech touch products to enhance your navigation experience. As you would expect, this went without a hitch. A restart was required and a splash screen appeared with a link to register your new device along with taking a short survey. I always register my devices and I’ve taken the survey when registering other Logitech products, so I knew it would only take thirty seconds to complete.

Okay, so after six hours of using the T630 I have to say I like it. I’m reminded of the days when I used to use a Mac. There are no visible buttons on top but you still have the functionality of a two button mouse just by pressing on the left side or the right side of the singular surface. One feature I didn’t want to give up that the Microsoft ARC Touch Mouse supported was the ability to rapidly scroll Websites just by double tapping on the arch of the mouse. I was pleased to discover that this simple looking mouse offers the same feature simply by pressing straight down on the center of the mouse.

The small profile makes it extremely portable and Logitech claims the expected battery life is ten days on a full 1.5 hour charge. On the other hand, the small profile can make it somewhat uncomfortable for a person with a medium to large size hand over an extended period of use. Although it is lightweight it feels solid in your hand. The switches on the bottom feel solid when powering on and off and switching from channel one to channel two. I have to agree with J.A Watson “As with essentially all Logitech products I have tried, I highly recommend this one.”